


You Burned Me With Your Lies (But Karma Is About To Light A Fire Under Your Ass)

by ThePoppyPress



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: And the Kents, Barbara Gordon "died", Bisexual Cassandra Cain, Bisexual Character, Cassandra deserves to be the main character for once, Cassandra is the last piece of the puzzle, Cassandra tries to get away from her family, Commissioner Gordon works for Bat Fam, Evil Bat Family, F/M, Gen, Hurt Cassandra Cain, I promise, M/M, Mafia Bat Family, Mafia Kent Family, Obsessive Bat Family, Possessive Bruce Wayne, Possessive Damian Wayne, Possessive Dick Grayson, Possessive Jason Todd, Possessive Tim Drake, She recruits people to bring down the Bat Family, Stephanie Brown is only mentioned or featured in flashbacks, Teen Titans are the recruits, They won't leave her alone, it'll be good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26710486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePoppyPress/pseuds/ThePoppyPress
Summary: Don Wayne and his family ruled the entire East Coast with an iron fist, whether the people know it or not. One cannot simply escape the powerful Wayne family. You can run, but you can't hide, so to speak.Even with this in mind, Cassandra Cain, ex-Wayne family member and previously Orphan or the "Black Bat," runs anyway, hoping to disappear from the Wayne's sights forever. Too bad they seem to have other plans.However, she gains an unexpected ally in abandoning the Wayne name, opening her up to a world of revenge against the kings and queens of the underworld.Adopting the new moniker "Karma," Cassandra and her team, aided by the thought-to-be-dead Barbara Gordon, aim to exact their vengeance upon the Wayne family, even if it kills them.
Relationships: Artemis Crock/Zatanna Zatara, Cassandra Cain & Barbara Gordon & Jade Nguyen, Cassandra Cain & Barbara Gordon & Rachel Roth & Garfield Logan & Victor Stone & Jade Nguyen, Cassandra Cain & Bruce Wayne, Cassandra Cain & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain & Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain/Kon-El | Conner Kent, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Damian Wayne/Rachel Roth (One-Sided), Dick Grayson/Barbara Gordon (One-Sided), Roy Harper/Jade Nguyen, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain (one-sided), Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake, rachel roth/garfield logan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36





	1. Some People Come Back To Haunt You (No Matter How Deep You Bury Them)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [In the Game](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19017142) by [withthekeyisking](https://archiveofourown.org/users/withthekeyisking/pseuds/withthekeyisking). 



It was a nice place, Cassandra supposed, for Gotham, anyway. Large to entertain enough people, but small enough to make sure that only specific guests were able to enter. ‘Kinda gaudy, though,’ she thought, glancing around at the gold painted moulding on the ceiling and the low hanging chandeliers, and while it all looked brand new, she could see little chips in the paint and some cracks in the no doubt plastic lights. Cassandra took a sip from the wine glass and slowly relaxed in her seat, feeling a shiver run up her spine. He was here and she knew that if she didn’t look anything other than at ease, he was going to use that against her. She couldn’t afford that. 

A slight crackle sounded in her ear, and she resisted wincing at the noise. 

“Alright, Karma. You’re just going to observe tonight. Observe and deduce, alright? Don’t go anywhere with him, don’t do anything with him. Just talk and when you’re done, leave. You know the exit route,” Barbara said through the nearly nonexistent communication device nestled in the crevice of her ear. Cassandra said nothing, merely tapped her wine glass in response, the sound no doubt echoing into the comms. Another five minutes passed, and Cassandra tapped the watch on her wrist. ‘10:23,’ it read. 

Suddenly, a hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a source of heat applied itself to her back, bared by the dress she was wearing. Cassandra didn’t look back, already knowing who it was. 

“Miss me, Cassie?” She had no response, only sipping her wine once more. He laughed into her ear, as if her refusal to talk was amusing. “Silent as ever.” Cassandra stayed perfectly still, resisting making any minute movements. Then, the heat removed itself from her back, and moved to sit across from her. Now in front of her eyes, she could clearly see him. 

He was as handsome as ever, with a cheerful smile, shimmering blue eyes that sparkled in the chandelier’s light, and looking immaculate in his navy suit. Nearly everyone in the vicinity of him had turned their heads to him, silently checking him out. Some were more subtle than others. He was always this way, she recalled, handsome enough to get someone to lower their guard, charismatic enough to make someone assume he had no ulterior motives. 

However, if you looked closer, a silent world made itself known in his eyes and on his body. A subdued craze in his eyes as he grinned at her from the other side of the table, the small trace amounts of blood on the back of his collar and under his perfectly manicured nails. ‘Cruelty,’ she thought with disgust, though keeping her expression carefully blank, ‘was always his best trait. Because his cruelty always made way for mercy.’ Genuine amusement showed on his face. 

“What?” He spread his arms out as if to receive a warm hug from her, “No greeting for your big brother?” Cassandra tipped her glass one last time before setting it onto the table spread. She leaned back into her chair and appraised him for a second more. 

“Hello, Dick.” His grin widened, like the cat who got the canary. 

“Finally, she speaks!” He laughed, the cheerful sound echoing onto the walls and drawing more attention from those around them. She could see this was part of his plan, to draw attention and make it so that she cannot do anything. “You know, little sister, daddy dearest has been very worried ever since you ran away,” Dick leaned forward onto his elbows, as a passing waiter offered him wine. He gladly accepted before peering at her with deceptively kind eyes, “and Damian was furious. Damn near destroyed everything in his room and then yours. He wants you back, how sweet is that?” Still she said nothing, but it seemed that Dick didn’t mind. He only continued to talk. “Tim and Jason did everything they could to find you, unsuccessfully, might I add. Bravo,” he praised, dragging his index finger around the rim of his own wine glass, “It looked like we were just going to have to give up on you,”

‘Liar,’ she scoffed internally. Tim would’ve never given up until he found or did what he wanted, neither would’ve Damian or Jason. 

“But,” Dick continued, “then you invited me out to dinner. What luck, right? And the rest of our brothers were so excited that they wanted to come along.” Cassandra had expected this to some extent, but didn’t expect all her “brothers” to come. Out of the corner of her eye, the flash of a steak knife being twirled gave her the location of Damian Wayne, her youngest brother by only 3 years, who smiled sharply when he noticed her looking. A young waiter came around, obviously nervous, and placed the bottle of cognac on the table, scurrying away without asking if he needed anything else. Damian poured himself a drink, keeping eye contact with her all the while. She turned back to Dick, noting that his smile had turned into a smirk before sliding her eyes away, towards the bar. Predictably, Jason was there, taking a sip of amber liquid in a crystal old fashioned glass, leaning on his elbows atop the glossed wood of the counter, staring at her intently. The whole of his large torso turned towards her and Dick when she returned his gaze. Not far from him was Tim in a corner, typing away on a laptop, hit eye catching her’s over the glare of his screen. His lips opened and he murmured words, Dick chuckling across from her. 

“Tim says hello. He’s missed you.” Cassandra finally gave a response, a low hum. She knows that it’s not entirely true, that they’ve only missed what she could do, what she’s done for them. Emboldened by her response, Dick took out the comm in his ear, offering it to her with a smile. “Wanna talk to him?” Barbara’s breathing crackled in her own comm. 

“Don’t take that, Karma.” Cassandra didn’t react to her command nor to the offer. She simply shook her head. Dick pouted. 

“You’re hurting Tim’s feelings, Cassie. Take it,” he goaded. She didn’t mistake the way his head tilted in interest, nor rest of her brothers’ shift in posture. ‘That was a signal,’ she thought, ‘10 seconds.’ 

“Get out of there, Karma. Soon. We’ll intervene when you give the signal,” warned Barbara. Cassandra reached forward and tapped the side of her wine glass, catching her brother’s attention, before grabbing the glass and draining its contents in one gulp. Dick whistled. 

“Didn’t take you for such a drinker, Cassie. We might need to fix that. You know daddy Bruce doesn’t like drinking too much. Reminds him of dear grandfather.” Her eyes sharpened, her brother picking up on it right away, if the way his back straightened in anticipation was anything to go by. Cassandra pushed her chair back, slowly standing up. 

“Good bye, Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian. We may meet again.” She made to move past their table, but Dick shot out of his seat, startling the other guests and latching onto her arm with a strong grip that ensured she would not be leaving soon. 

“I don’t think so, dear little sister. We’re not done yet.” Damian stood up in his seat, his face pulled into a snarl, as if mad that she had dared to try to escape a second time. 

Jason and Tim were too on guard, ready to intervene if needed. Cassandra glanced down at the large hand encircled around her forearm, grabbing its wrist and bringing her brother closer to her. 

“Yes, we are,” she whispered. She grabbed the table spread with a gentle grip, making it nearly unnoticeable to her brothers’ eyes. Suddenly, a waiter with green hair approached and grabbed Dick’s arm, a goofy smile plastered onto his face. 

“I’m sorry, sir, but I’m going to have to ask you to let go. Not cool to grab a lady, ya’know?” With that, the waiter wrenched Dick’s hand from Cass’, allowing her to slip by. She ran towards the door to the fire exit off to the side, conveniently not near any of her brothers. She resisted looking back at the sound of a gunshot, trusting that Garfield and Victor would take care of it, and continued her path to the door. The door shut as she dashed up two steps at a time instead of down. One flight up, the door banged open behind her, Jason’s large figure catching sight of hers and quickly following her. 

“You won’t get anywhere Cassie! Just give up now and we’ll try to convince Bruce not to lock you in your room like a princess.” Cass said nothing, only pushing herself to go faster. Eventually, she reached the top of the building, running out the door and onto the roof. She ran to the edge and looked over, mentally calculating as she heard Jason run onto the roof after her. “Nowhere to run, Cass,” he said as he spotted her, a bloodthirsty grin stretching across his face. Two more figures ran onto the roof, joining Jason in facing off against their sister. 

“Cain, cease this nonsense now and come home,” Damian sneered as her head turned to them, “you won’t be able to escape. Stop trying.” Tim said nothing, only smiling as if he knew he had won. 

Cassandra finally allowed some emotion to flicker across her face, a small amused smile coming to mock the three men on the roof. 

"Don't worry, Damian. We will meet again." With that, Cassandra Cain climbed onto the railing of the roof and leaped off the edge, flipping to turn feet first into an open sewer entrance on the sidewalk right in front of the restaurant. A net was cast beneath the entrance with the sole purpose of catching her, and she bounced up to the surface, quickly grabbing the lid and sliding it over the entrance as silently as she could. 

Settling back into the net, she leaned up towards the closed lid, through the peep hole, eyeing the three figures on the edge of the roof, one of them cursing loudly (likely Jason). Her comm crackled. 

"Karma, did you get out safe?" 

"Yes. Garfield and Victor alright?" 

"Just fine. Head to the Nest, Karma. Time to debrief." Cassandra hummed in response. 

"See you in a bit, Oracle." Her comm crackled out, signaling the end of the conversation. She took the comm out of her ear and dumped it into the water of the sewer, knowing that Barbara would scold her if she didn't. 

A small smirk crossed her face and she reached underneath the skirt of her black dress, grabbing the knife that was slotted into its scabbard, strapped to her thigh. Cutting through the net, she jumped down onto the floor of the sewer and ran, disappearing into its darkness.

\-----

The four men arrived at the manor, and Alfred stepped forward to greet them. 

"Fuck Cassie. Fuck those friends of hers." Jason cursed as the rest of his brothers scowled and brooded. 

"I assume that the mission was unsuccessful, Master Timothy?" Alfred eyed the rips on Dick's suit, lamenting another tux wasted. Tim clenched his jaw which Alfred took as his answer. "Well, Master Bruce would like to see you all in his office." 

Dick nodded and led his brothers up the stairs and into the hallway where their father resided. Knocking on the door, he waited a half a second before pushing the door open to face Don Bruce Wayne, ruler of the entire East Coast underworld. 

Bruce looked up from his paperwork, observing each of his sons through his cyan eyes, his handsome face reasonable and not terribly disappointed. 

"You didn't get her," he concluded. Jason scoffed and moved to sit on one of the couches to the side of the room. 

"Not even close." Damian was quick to reassure his father. 

"Not to worry, father. We will obtain Cain in due time." Tim added, 

"Meanwhile, we know she's working with someone. And they're good." Damian scoffed. 

"Please," he sneered, "two of them were barely enough to contain Grayson. They are lower than Cain's standards, why would she work with them?" 

"I don't know," Tim brought his laptop from his bag, opening it, "I just know they probably have one objective: destroying us." Damian laughed disbelievingly. 

"They could try all they can, but they can never bring us down. We'll make sure of it, won't we father?" Damian turned to Bruce, who looked forward without acknowledging his son. He stood up and crossed to the opposite side of the room, grabbing a crystal glass and pouring a bit of Bacardi in and sipping it, savoring the burn as the amber liquid slid down his throat.

"We will, Damian, we will," the Don assured, taking another sip of his drink and heading over to the window behind his desk, overlooking the front of the estate, "and after that, we're bringing my daughter home. No matter what it takes." Jason, not one to wallow in the negativity of their failures, shared a smile with his brothers, a ruthless intent behind it. He leaned back onto the back of the couch. 

"I like the sound of that."


	2. Promises Make Debt (And Debt Makes Promises)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You still didn’t answer my question. You waiting for someone?” Tim nodded. 
> 
> “Any minute now,” Tim suddenly grinned at his older brother, making Jason straighten a bit in interest, his white bangs falling into his eyes, “Good ol’ Jimmy is coming over for a visit. Let’s make him feel welcome, huh?”

The black dress shifted uncomfortably upon her body as she twisted this way and that between the narrow corridors of Gotham’s inner network, buildings grouped so tightly together that the space between was just shy of five feet. She had left the sewer system only moments ago, surfacing at the intended entrance to meet at the rendezvous point with the rest of her team. She followed the route she had memorized and approached a square of space between conjoined buildings with no obvious entrance and exit, sliding between an alley between two of the four buildings. It was cramped, and she, with her rather muscular frame, struggled slightly to fit, but fit she did. 

About six feet into the alley, she felt along the wall in front of her, not stopping until she found what she was looking for. She pressed her fingers heavily on a brick with a nearly imperceptible chip in it, and without a sound, a large part of the wall fell away in front of her, a door with bricks plastered to the front swinging inwards to the room hidden inside the abandoned building. She stepped into the darkness without a care, and kept walking as the door swung closed without a sound behind her. 

She stepped carefully within the blackness of the room, her eyes barely adjusting before she came upon another door, opening it without any hesitation. There she came face to face with a grinning Garfield, a fresh bruise showing across his cheekbone, a stark contrast with the smooth skin around it, a severely split lip, and his green hair mussed up, likely from Victor’s motorcycle helmet as they made their own getaway. His squeaky voice, still a little boyish, made her smile genuinely for the first time that night. 

“Did I scare ya?” The corner of her lips twitched upwards and she shook her head no. His face fell into a feigned pout at her denial. 

“Aw man!” He whined at his foiled attempt at scaring his friend and teammate, “I’m gonna scare you one day! You can count on it, Cass!” 

“Sure,” was all she said, but the look on her face told her friend that that would never happen. It resulted in his pout deepening and her smile widening by a fraction. Victor came in then from an adjacent hallway to the door, greeting Cassandra with a set frown on his face, his one eye narrowing a bit. 

“Karma,” he said, his deep baritone reaching her ears with a touch of irritation, “Oracle wants to talk with you.” Cass nodded at Vic, and after clapping her green haired teammate on the shoulder, walked down the hallway the one eyed man had just exited, on her way to the boss lady herself. Behind her, she could hear Victor starting to yell at Garfield, probably looking and sounding annoyed at his teammate’s unpredictability, though she knew it came from a place of worry for his friend’s wellbeing. The green haired man argued back half heartedly, knowing this fact as well. Cass let her face soften into a small and noticeable smile, fond of her teammates. 

The black haired woman came upon a door at the end of the hallway that had different openings leading to different areas of the safehouse. She didn’t bother knocking as she turned the knob quietly and entered the dimly lit room, only illuminated by a lamp in one of the corners and the blue light of a laptop atop a desk. Behind the laptop was a woman whose green eyes flickered to meet hers as she approached, her thick red hair tied into a ponytail, the paleness of her skin and the dark bags underneath her eyes indicating that she had not slept in a while. Cassandra let the door close quietly behind her, impassively greeting the woman. 

“Hello Oracle.” Barbara Gordon was a one of a kind person, Cassandra had noticed when she had first met her. She had rather liked Barbara, nicknamed Babs when they had met each other on the street. They had grown to be fast friends, and she introduced Barbara to her family at one point, though Cassandra had doubted it would’ve been long after that they would meet. She was Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, after all. 

Dick, who had grown quite obsessed with the red haired woman after dating her for a no more than a little over half a year, possessive to the point where, when Barbara had gone to meet with a friend of hers who was in town instead of staying with him like he had demanded, Dick had beaten her black and blue, paralyzing her legs forever. After she had recovered in the hospital, lightly covered over with the excuse of ‘a dangerous tumble down a long flight of stairs at the Manor,’ Dick took her home and locked her in his room. Obviously, no one else in the household minded, sans Cass, in fact, even helping Dick find her when Barbara had tried to escape. 

While it was not one of the first times Cassandra had been oddly sickened by her brothers, it was the first time she had grown to regret having them in her life, as well as regret of dragging someone else into her family’s doings. Eventually, Barbara had enough and escaped successfully, and after some time had passed with the Wayne family on her tail, she managed to fake her death, therefore putting them off forever. At least, until she devised a plan to get her revenge. 

She had contacted Cassandra through a burner phone when Cassandra had made her own escape from the Wayne’s, calling her whilst knowing that Cass’ phone was encrypted enough to throw off Tim’s genius level computer skills. Barbara had recruited Cassandra, who had then renounced the Wayne name and reverted back to her surname, Cain, to help her bring down the largest crime family on the East Coast. Obviously, she had said yes. 

“Karma,” Barbara greeted cordially, before grinning and gesturing towards the chair in front of the desk, “that was a good run. You got rid of your comm I assume?” Cassandra nodded, her hair bobbing with her head. The red haired woman looked at her in approval before turning her eyes back to the laptop in front of her. “What did you observe? Don’t leave anything out,” the smile on her face turned sharp, “especially that bastard’s reaction.” Cassandra’s own small grin rivaled that of her boss’, growing dangerous. 

And so, she told her all of it. How the soles of their boots had recently been in some sort of muddy terrain, despite being scrubbed down thoroughly before their encounter with their self-renounced sister; how there were traces of dried blood and skin under their nails and on their clothes; how Jason had been recently shouldering a heavier and more lethal weapon as the minute movements of his torso told her; how Damian had been practicing more taichi, and how Tim had probably started training with a different weapon as well, and if the new found calluses on his hands were to say anything, a bow, likely taught by Red Arrow himself, Roy Harper; how Dick had turned furious when she tried to leave, and even more furious when Garfield intercepted him. 

Barbara hummed in thought, leaning back against her chair. Cassandra cleared her throat. 

“What’s our next move?” Barbara, still somewhat in thought, motioned to her. 

“That can wait until tomorrow, when Raven comes back. For now, you’ve had a rough night. Go to sleep and we’ll work on furthering our plan later.” Cassandra nodded at Barbara, standing up and heading towards the door, only to be stopped when Babs said something else. 

“Good work tonight, Cassie.” The black haired woman turned her head to look at her boss, who was smiling softly at her over the light of the computer. 

“Thanks, Babs,” she replied, suddenly frowning playfully, “and get some sleep. You’re starting to look like a vampire.” Then, ignoring the offended squawk of her friend, headed off to her own room for the night. 

\-----

Tim hummed quietly behind his desk as he typed away at the company’s computer, occasionally checking his watch before looking back at his work. Jason, who was lounging on one of the office’s sofas, noticed Tim glancing at his wrist. Taking another drag of his cigarette, Jason pointed at his younger brother. 

“Got someone ya gotta see, Replacement?” Tim looked at Jason, his blue eyes darkening in irritation before sighing. 

“Go smoke somewhere else Jason. It’s making the room stink up. You know how much Bruce hates it.” Jason rolled his blue green eyes before taking another drag, ignoring his brother’s annoyance. It was silent for a few more moments before Jason asked again. 

“You still didn’t answer my question. You waiting for someone?” Tim nodded. 

“Any minute now,” Tim suddenly grinned at his older brother, making Jason straighten a bit in interest, his white bangs falling into his eyes, “Good ol’ Jimmy is coming over for a visit. Let’s make him feel welcome, huh?” As Tim finished, Damian opened the door to the office, walking in with a Capri Sun in his hands, stabbing the straw through the hole at the top to access the liquid inside. Both his brothers eyed him but Jason was the one to crack it as Damian slammed the door shut behind him. 

“How’s your juice break, junior?” Jason snickered at his own joke while Damian stared him down with bemused emerald eyes. He takes a sip of his juice before saying, 

“Fear me.” Jason broke down cackling and Tim gave an amused smile that quickly turned sharp as a knock came through the door. 

“Come in, James,” Tim purred, hiding his grin behind his hand as the door opened to reveal Commissioner Jim Gordon. Internally, the three Wayne boys smirked at his disheveled appearance, reminded of how, just mere hours earlier, he had joined them in cleaning up the mess they made when the true demons from inside came out to play. Commissioner Gordon gave no outwardly reaction to them, but as perceptive as they were, the Wayne boys knew that he must’ve been thinking about their earlier ‘activities’ to relieve their frustrations of their current MIA sister. 

No doubt he was thinking how they had shot their guns again and again, over and over, how they had split those people in two like it was nothing. It really was nothing to them, after all. People come, people go, there’s nothing you can do to stop it, so might as well add to it, right?

“You said you needed my help, sir?” Jason couldn’t help but snicker at the formality of the Commissioner. It only goes to show how far beneath their family’s control the entire police department of Gotham was, whether they knew it or not. It pleased Jason immensely. Tim and Damian shared his sentiment, it seemed, as they sent each other secret grins. 

“Yes, it seems that one of our own has been led astray and we’ll need your help fetching her,” a sneer fell onto Damian’s lips as he said the words, still furious at Cassandra for betraying them. ‘No matter,’ he thought to himself as he stared down the Commissioner, his sour mood slightly abated when the older man averted his eyes, ‘when we get her back, I will make sure this atrocity never happens again.’ 

“Sir?” Damian rolled his eyes at his obliviousness while Tim answered his obvious inquiry. 

“It seems that Cassandra Cain, our sister has escaped our family’s boundary of influence and we have to retrieve her. While we’ve tried our best, the past month has been a bust. We’re hoping that some help from the GCPD would….further our operation,” Tim explained, a smile gripping the edge of his lips but it was anything other than gentle. 

“Whaddaya say, Jimmy? You free?” The older man nodded and the three Wayne boys grinned ferally, quite pleased. 

“Then that’s all, James. We’ll contact you with further information.” He didn’t say anything, just turned around and left the room, closing the door softly on his way out. Tim closed his eyes, leaning his head against his hands in a contemplative position. He assembled his mental chess board, starting to move his first piece in a match that was as meticulous as it was dangerous. He grinned. 

‘Let the games begin.’ 

\-----

Cassandra yawned as she tiredly sat up in bed, staring blankly at the wall across from her. It seemed that dealing with her brothers the previous night took a lot out of her. A creak outside her door had her standing at attention instantly, and though she already knew who it was, something inside had her itching to grab the weapons she had hidden inside her room. 

‘Paranoia,’ her brothers had called it at one point in time, when she was still under their influence. Though they had grinned at her and told her that it was a good thing, and she had believed them. Now, it was one of her biggest regrets, knowing when to live with and without paranoia. A tentative knock came to her door, another, more confident one following in quick succession. 

“Yes,” she answered shortly, though not unkind. Garfield, who the rest of the team had affectionately named Gar, swung the door open slightly to poke his head into her room, smiling brightly. 

“Hey! Breakfast is downstairs if you want some!” Cass nodded and Gar left her room, the door slightly ajar, as if knowing she would follow. He was right. Her calloused hands pushed her covers out of the way and she left her room, going down a short hallway to the kitchen and dining room. Victor was at the stove in a plain apron, flipping some pancakes. His face was relaxed, Cassandra noticed as she studied everyone else in the room. 

Barbara was at the small dining table, typing away on a computer, her breakfast halfway finished while Gar relaxed on the couch behind Babs, his arm behind a pale girl with dark purple hair, both focused on the TV in front of them. A flash of color caught her eye on the TV, the news anchor reporting on a series of murders that had gone down that night and early into the morning. Cassandra had a feeling she already knew who was behind them. She stepped forward, guilt gripping at her stomach, and grabbed the remote on the coffee table in front of the couch. Turning up the volume, her stomach further churned at the report. 

“A total of ten bodies were found dumped in Gotham’s harbor earlier this morning, horribly mutilated. While there was a tattoo that is a trademark of the well known Sionis syndicate found on one of the forearms of the victims, authorities have yet to identify them, and investigators are still working on more leads. A sad day this is turning out to be in Gotham, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s hope that this killer is caught soon. Back to you, Jeff.” Cassandra’s hands clenched into small fists, painfully aware of her friend’s sad stares at her. Barbara wheeled away from the dining table to grab to her fist, causing her to snap her head towards her red haired friend. 

“It’s not your fault, Cassie.” She said nothing, only slowly turning her head back to the TV. Gar was quick to jump in, assuring her. 

“Yeah, Cassie! It’s their fault that they don’t have self control. They’re horrible people and you’re not one of them anymore and-” Gar’s ramble was cut off at Victor’s deep voice. 

“You’re helping us bring them down, Cassandra. Those death’s are not your fault. Nor are they our’s. It’s unfortunate that they’re dead, yes. But, when we bring down those fuckers, then at least their deaths were not in vain.” Cass’ eyes snapped to Victor’s, who was now standing next to her with a stack of pancakes on a plate, and while she was surprised he swore (he was always a stickler for manners), she was even more shocked to see such conviction within his one eye, a depth of want for justice against the kings of the East Coast. 

A rustle on the couch brought her attention towards the dark purple haired girl, her lighter purple eyes appraising her calmly. Rachel Roth leaned against her boyfriend lightly, obviously still exhausted from her early arrival to the hideout. 

“Vic’s right, Cass,” her soft, stern voice told her, “we’ll bring them down if it’s the last thing we do.” The former Wayne nodded her head, feeling slightly more sure of herself. She turned to Barbara who had gone back to typing away at her laptop. 

“What’s our next move?” Babs’ green eyes slid over to her’s, a slow smirk curving at her lips. Gar and Rachel got off the couch and moved over to the table while Vic placed the plate down, a inquisitiveness showing in his eye. Cass eyed it as the tall stack of pancakes wobbled precariously, before turning her attention back to Babs who’s sharp expression had her tilting her head curiously. 

“You’re all going to love this.” She clicked on something on her computer, the whole group leaning in to get a good look at the content. An invitation showed on her laptop, a fancy, official one with loopy writing and addressing. “You know how Bruce never introduced you to high society as a Wayne adoptee?” Cassandra nodded. 

“Yeah, it was easier for me to do things if I wasn’t in the spotlight.” 

“Right! Well, I got us a sponsor who isn’t under Wayne’s influence and we, specifically, you will be entering Gotham’s high society under their name.” The black haired woman narrowed her eyes suspiciously. 

“Who?” A sheepish look crossed Barbara’s face. The red haired woman mumbled something, everyone straining to hear. “What?” Babs mumbled louder. 

“Zatanna Zatara.” Gar choked on the pancake he had stolen, Rachel’s eyes widening as she helped her boyfriend gain his bearings. Victor screeched,

“WHAT?!” 

“I know, I know how it sounds! But wait-” 

“Babs! We’re aiming to take down the mafia, not join them!” Barbara sputtered over the noises that Garfield made as he struggled to breathe correctly. 

“This is just a business transaction! We both get something good out of it! Besides, the Zatara’s are rivals of the Waynes! With us, computer geniuses, people with different assets and a former Wayne family member, we have a chance!” Victor groaned and brought his hands up to his eyes, rubbing at them tiredly. 

Garfield finally dislodged the remaining bits of pancake from his throat and started to breathe normally before beginning to protest loudly, Rachel at his side, still staring at Barbara incredulously. Cassandra, despite being a little shocked, recovered quickly, and thought about the information objectively. 

All in all, it made sense. The Zatara’s had always been severe rivals of the Wayne syndicate, and when Bruce Wayne finally sent Giovanni Zatara to prison for good, the Zatara crime family took a massive hit in prospects and reputation. Zatanna, Giovanni’s only daughter, had taken up the mantle on the family business and started to rebuild the blocks of what was her family’s former glory. She was much like Giovanni, but kinder and more generous if one could believe it. If they ended up merging together, it would give them a chance to attain something they both want: the end of the Wayne crime family. 

“Okay,” a quiet word from Cassandra’s mouth quieted everyone else’s loud protest in the room. Barbara slumped in relief while the disbelieving stares were now directed towards her. “It makes sense. And Zatanna is not her father’s daughter. She’s good. As good as one can be in our world.” Dubious looks were sent to her from around the table. Babs let out a huff. 

“Look guys, I’ve scheduled a meeting with Zatanna tomorrow afternoon. Raven and Cassandra will be meeting with her outside of Peet’s Coffee Shop to negotiate. We can talk about this tonight but we need an answer by tomorrow morning.” Barbara looked at everyone in the room. “So,” she leaned forward onto her elbows, “what’s it gonna be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, 
> 
> Firstly, I apologize for taking so long to post, though I know not many read this story. I have gotten so busy with college (exams are coming up again), and I thought that I might as well update this. 
> 
> Secondly, this is only a side fic, so I won't be updating this one as much. I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone. 
> 
> All the same, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, so please stay tuned for more! Hopefully, the third, which I am still working on, will be posted soon!
> 
> Until next time, 
> 
> The Poppy Press


	3. The Forces of Good and Evil are Working...Around Me (I Must Choose)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You want to know why I turned away? It’s simple, Zatanna,” Cassandra addressed said woman, who raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, her face staying in the same small smile. “I did it because they killed the woman I loved.”

Jason sat leisurely on the table as he admired his new gun from it’s case, ignoring the blood that dripped off of his hands. The black metal glinted in the dim light of the warehouse, and he feigned ignorance of the labored panting and snivelling reaching his ears. 

A few feet from his position, a stout figure sat tied to a plain wooden chair, tears and snot streaming down his face, blood soaking the white button up shirt he wore. 

Damian stood tall in front of the hunched man, a look of disgust present on his face as he looked down his nose at the cowering Oswald Cobblepot, codenamed Penguin. Damian’s own hands were ripped at the knuckles, destroyed from fighting Cobblepot’s goons. 

“I suppose you know what happens next, correct Cobblepot?” Damian sneered, an ugly look in his emerald green eyes. Jason paused as he finished assembling his weapon, swiveling his gaze to the two figures in front of him. Cobblepot sputtered through his swollen face. 

“Whadaya want! I’ll give you anything! Anything!” Jason whistled as he stood up, catching both his brother’s and Cobblepot’s attention. 

“Anything, Oswald? Big promise right there. Sure you can deliver?” The second eldest Wayne son jumped off the table with more grace than his large frame should’ve carried, his leather jacket making minute noises as he stretched and flexed his arms. He waved the small, lethally silent gun in his hands and ignored the small whimper that seemed to emit from Penguin. 

“Anything! Please, Mr. Todd! Anything!” Two pairs of cold, contemplative eyes bore down on the stouter man before glancing at each other. Silent communication was exchanged from elder to younger brother, obviously coming at a conclusion quite quickly as they smiled predatorily at their captive. Damian spoke up. 

“We want three thirds of your territory, and another order to fulfill. In return, we don’t put a bullet in your brain.” The man’s pudgy hands shook as he fervently nodded. However, some of the tension within his shoulders seemed to seep out of him. Not many noticed but it didn’t escape the eyes of Jason Todd-Wayne and Damian Al Ghul-Wayne. A sick grin shared between the brothers brought the tension back tenfold. 

“But before that,” Damian turned his back to the snivelling man, holding his hand out to one of his underlings who passed him a knife, freshly put under the flames of a lighter. At the sight of the glowing knife, Oswald Cobblepot paled significantly, causing Jason to snicker. 

“No, no, no, no!” Penguin pleaded, “No, please!” Damian laughed cruelly, his emerald eyes alight with a hunger for suffering, red hot like the weapon in his hands. 

“We’re gonna play for a little bit.” His strong hand brought the knife down to meet Penguin’s clammy skin, slicing through the muscle like it was nothing with a sizzle. The smell of burnt flesh permeated through the air, and, despite the stout man’s screams, the Wayne boys did not stop.

\-----

Rachel and Cassandra stepped into Peet’s Cafe, shivering from the rainy weather. Both were casually dressed, Rachel with her own gothic, dark clothed style, and Cass in leggings, a thin sweater and a cardigan. Their eyes searched the cafe cautiously, though feigning uninterest and boredom. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as people bustled around in the homey atmosphere of the cafe, breathing in the wafting smells of freshly brewed coffee and cake. 

Suddenly, a slight prickle made its way up Cassandra’s neck and she snapped her head in one direction, Rachel’s eyes immediately following. In a rather secluded corner of the cafe, a woman sat placidly, reading a medium sized, blue book. Azure eyes met both girls’ and a slow smile crept onto Zatanna Zatara’s pretty face, a thin hand sweeping her long black hair over her shoulder. 

“Hey girls,” Zatanna called out, waving them over in an obvious invitation, “I saved your seats.” Both Rachel and Cass’ gaits were fluid with grace, their bodies used to forced languidness that it was natural. They crossed over to Zatanna’s table, casual smiles on their faces to make the scene seem like nothing more than a few friends getting together for coffee. 

However, there was more at stake than mere ground coffee beans and fresh cake. Rachel and Cass sat down in silence, keeping their smiles carefully placed while watching Zatanna as the other woman’s eyes roamed over both of them. “You guys seem to be well,” an eyebrow raised in Cass’ direction, “considering what you’ve been through.” 

“We’ll survive,” came Rachel’s response as her basically nonexistent smile slipped off her face, settling back into its usual stoicness. Cass said nothing, merely continuing to watch the head of the Zatara crime family. The grin on Zatanna’s face became a smirk, accentuating her pretty features. Zatanna, Cassandra noticed, was a much more reserved beauty, whereas beauty like Dick’s was outstanding and loud. She had an elegance about her, a quiet power and grace that made you want to listen. 

As taught by her father, she was meant to inspire all the wrong things, while keeping an earnest look about her, keeping the secretive and bloodthirsty smile that hidden beneath, away from anyone’s eyes. When her father went to jail and thereby surrendered his place on the throne, the spot for the head of the entire family opened to anyone who would take it by force. 

Oddly enough, those who challenged Zatanna for it either ended up dead or disappeared forever. There were many speculations, rumors around the city, but nothing could ever be proven. It had occurred to her, more than once, that Zatanna was much like her denounced family in many ways. The thought of it made her want to curl her lip in disgust. 

“How are you, Cassandra- what is it? Cain, now?” Zatanna asked, blue eyes lighting up in interest and taunting, “How funny. Y’know, I happen to have come across a- uh, David Cain a little while ago. Sound familiar?” It was obvious for the two women to see that the head of the Zatara clan was looking to get a rise out of Cassandra. However, the dark haired woman didn’t flinch, didn’t twitch, didn’t move a single muscle, causing Zatanna to pout. “Aw, boo. You’re no fun.” 

“We’re not here for fun, nor are we here to discuss our private lives, Zatanna. We are here strictly for business.” Zatanna’s eyes moved from Cassandra to Rachel, her stare piercing through the purple haired woman, and the pout disappeared, making way for a smile sharper than it was before. 

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, Raven.” Though there was no shift to her face, Cass noticed that she clenched her fist out of the corner of her eye. “How are your father and brothers? Have you been to see them in the prison you put them in?” Zatanna’s eyes glinted in amusement, “I’m betting they’re frothing at the mouth in anger." 

“I can neither agree or deny your claims. It’s in the past and we cannot change anything. The only thing now is to move on.” Rachel’s voice was tight and her features started to pinch a bit, “besides, you can’t talk.” Before she could reveal too much, Cassandra jumped in.

“We came to talk. So let’s talk.” The woman eyed them then huffed a small laugh, leaning back against her chair. A beat of silence passed between the women before Zatanna finally agreed. 

“Fine. I’ve heard enough from Babs, but I want to hear it from the traitor herself.” Cassandra mirrored the other woman’s position, relaxing herself against the back of her chair. 

“What do you want to know?” 

“Why the sudden change of heart? Why betray the people who took you in?” The question hung in the air, tension growing around the three women. In her peripheral, she could see Rachel glance at her, worry emitting from her friend. It made her feel odd, a tinge of warmth growing inside. After all, it was always nice to know someone cared. 

“You want to know why I turned away? It’s simple, Zatanna,” Cassandra addressed said woman, who raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, her face staying in the same small smile. “I did it because they killed the woman I loved.” 

Zatanna stared at Cassandra contemplatively, as if to consider whether or not she was lying. ‘Joke’s on her, I’m not,’ thought Cass bitterly, ‘no matter how much I wish I was.’ 

“I see,” Zatanna said, bringing Cass’ attention back to the woman sitting across from her, “I guess it can’t be helped.” Rachel and Cassandra glanced at each other. 

“So you’re agreeing to help us? So easily?” Rachel adopted a look of extreme suspicion. 

“Of course. We’re talking about making sure that one of my biggest competitors is going to be brought down. Why wouldn’t I want to dabble in that? This won’t be entirely free though. I’m not that nice.” At that, Zatanna stuffed her book into her bag hanging on the back of her chair and reached for her jacket. 

“What is it that you’ll be asking for?” Zatanna smirked at Rachel but didn’t pause in slipping on her coat. 

“My dear Raven, it’s something that no one but Barbara will be able to handle. So don’t worry.” The blue eyed woman stood up, putting out her hand. “I will be discussing things further with your boss.” Cassandra and Rachel also stood up, taking her hand and shaking it. Zatanna tipped her head in acknowledgement. “Have a nice day ladies. I’ll be seeing you soon.” Both women said nothing, only nodding in return and watched silently as the head of the Zatara crime family walked out the door. 

\-----

Damian walked down the set of stairs to the dining room, hair still damp from the shower he had taken. Opening the large door, he came face to face with his father and Dick talking quietly amongst themselves while Tim sat in front of his laptop with a cup of something, likely decaf coffee considering his appalled face after a sip. 

Damian smirked at his awkward face as he plopped down into a chair. Alfred came forward from seemingly nowhere and placed a plate of food in front of him. Damian immediately grabbed a fork and went to dig in, but not before replying, 

“Thank you Pennyworth.” Alfred gave an approving headnod before heading into the kitchen. Bruce turned his attention to his youngest son. 

“How was your talk?” Damian thought back to the hours previous and smirked. 

“Rewarding, father. We are now in control of three thirds of Cobblepot’s holdings and territory, including the area near the river and the bay.” Bruce nodded with a satisfied smile. 

“Perfect. I’ll be sending the command to Jim to tighten security around those areas. If your sister is anywhere within the vicinity, we’ll find her.” As if an unconscious habit, Damian clenched his jaw and barely stopped himself from glowering severely. Dick tilted his head curiously. 

“What’s on your mind, little D?” A moment of silence hung in the air. 

“What will happen to Cain when we get her? How are we going to prevent this atrocity from ever occurring again, father?” Damian’s eyes bore into Bruce’s, who’s own blue eyes bore back, “I refuse to let this happen again.” Bruce was quiet for a few seconds before responding to his son’s inquiry. 

“I suppose, Damian, that she won’t leave the manor in a long time and in that time, she’ll have to be reeducated. I’ve been talking with Clark on this matter and he’s given me some….advice on what he did when Lois tried to run away when she had Jon. I’m working on making a room at the top of the Manor ‘Cass-proof.’ I’ll be close by, as will Dick and Jason if we ever should need them,” he reassured his son, 

“Don’t worry, Damian. She won’t be escaping us once she’s back here. I promise you that.” The Don’s voice was uncharacteristically soft as he talked about his daughter. Damian supposed it was enough to assure him that no harm would come to Cassandra. At least, no harm that was unnecessary. 

The door to the dining suddenly slammed open, revealing Jason, his hair damp like his brother’s. He waved his phone in the air. 

“Just got off the phone with Roy. He says he’s down for helping us out.” Damian scowled. 

“Tt. If we need help from him, we’ve really lowered our standards.” Jason merely stuck his tongue out.  


“He’ll be helping us patrol and keeping an eye out on his part of the cities, Damian.” Bruce smirked suddenly, causing his sons to look at him. “Who’s ready to wreak havoc?” The predatory grins he received were answer enough. The sound of a ping caught everyone’s attention. Tim basically tackled his laptop as he worked through the notification. 

“A signal was caught on one of my reflectors. It’s weak but it’s there.” Tim typed something else onto his laptop, and a look of triumph came upon his face. “I’ve been looking for this for a while. An internet source inside a building where there should be nothing.” Jason snorted. 

“So what, Replacement. Maybe a junkie or someone else finally got enough money for some wifi in there.” Tim smirked.  


“If it’s some random junkie, why is it encrypted with some of the strongest code I’ve ever seen? Whoever did this has been doing this for a long time, and it’s taken me a while to find it. 

It’s characteristic of the person who was working with Cassandra the night we lost her. I wasn’t able to get through on the comm she was wearing. I couldn’t track her at all. So wherever this signal is, Cassandra is there.” The men waited with a bated breath, and not five minutes passed before another ping came through on the laptop. Tim fiddled with his computer for a bit longer before looking up at his family, a victorious grin on his face. 

“I found her.” As if on cue, the boys looked at their father. Bruce smiled smugly. 

“Looks like we’re heading out early, boys.” 

\-----

The door shut behind Rachel and Cassandra as they reentered their hideout. As they were about to enter the living room however, a figure dashed in front of them, easily recognized as Garfield. Cass tilted her head, but Rachel asked the question. 

“What’s wrong, Gar?” Her boyfriend was quick to answer, slightly out of breath.

“Hurry and get your stuff! Babs heard some chatter on her radios. We’re in danger. Need to move quickly. Explain later.” Despite obvious curiosity, the girls acted swiftly, barging into their respective rooms and packing the minimal things they had. Cassandra had enough clothing and belongings to fit into two separate bags. Garfield had already packed most of his girlfriend and his stuff and was already at the front door. 

Cass rushed out of her room, checking it once more to make sure that she had not left anything behind. She walked out of the hallway and was about to head out of the front door before she paused. Looking at the small dining table, she suddenly had a feeling that this was due to her ‘family.’ 

She quietly set down her stuff and reached behind her neck and unclasped the necklace that sat on her chest. A small piece of silver glinted back at her and she set it down on the dining table. Cassandra grabbed her stuff and without a backwards glance at the piece of jewelry on the table, headed out the door and joined her group at the entrance to the small alleyway. 

“Took you long enough,” Victor hissed, checking his watch. “Your family are on their way here now! I-” a small sound was made on his watch, “Babs is here with our ride. Let’s go.” Following Vic, Rachel, Gar, and Cassandra discreetly made their way through another small, covered alleyway and out onto the street. A long, sleek limousine came to a stop in front of them and a door opened, revealing Barbara in all her glory sitting next to a collected Zatanna Zatara. 

“Let’s go guys!” Quickly, everyone stuffed their things into the limo, before cramming themselves in through the door as well. Luckily, there was enough room inside to accommodate for their extra baggage. Garfield closed the door behind them and they were off. Cassandra craned her neck to look out of the back of the car and a thought struck her.

“Babs, what about the cameras-” Barbara smirked, making her pause and then relax.  


"Already on it.”  
\-----  


Each of the Wayne family arrived in their own ways, easily slipping by unnoticed into the inner networks of Gotham’s underbelly. Tim traced the signal to a hidden space within an abandoned building and Damian found the secret door that led into the space without any trouble. 

“Elementary,” he scoffed as he brought his gun from within his jacket, moving swiftly into the darkness. What he found within was frustrating and disappointing in equal measure. It was empty, however, there were people here recently. Some parts of the furniture were still somewhat warm and scuffle marks were everywhere, indicating a rush to get out. Damian walked back out into the living room and a small flash of silver caught his eye. 

Dick was in a corner of the living room, lifting the sofa’s cushions and behind the TV, finding nothing but crumbs and a couple of coins. Turning back, he saw Damian at the small table behind a chair, staring at something. Walking over, Dick eyed a necklace neatly placed on the table’s plastic surface. It was a silver chain with a small charm, a flat, oval piece of metal with the letter ‘C’ carved in the middle. It had been something that Bruce had gotten Cassie when she was younger. As far as Dick and Damian knew, she never took it off. Damian grabbed the piece of silver in his hand, clenching his fist so hard that Dick was afraid he would break the offending necklace. 

A loud boom nearly shook the ground of the building, and both Dick and Damian were running out of the hideout to see Jason, Tim, and Bruce jumping back as one by one, a series of hidden cameras exploded from their perches in an alley leading to the outer streets. As the last one exploded, Tim ran forward and started to sort through the broken pieces, trying to see if anything was salvageable. 

Damian walked up to his father with a snarl and gave the necklace to Bruce, who stared at it with no emotion in his face. At least, that’s what it looked like. His sons knew better, seeing his inner turmoil at his daughter’s betrayal. Grasping it tightly in his fist, Bruce pocketed it and turned to his third son. 

“Was anything able to be saved?” Tim shook his head, anger upon his face. 

“Damnit,” Jason cursed.

\-----

The car was quiet, with Rachel, Gar, and Vic looking at Zatanna with obvious distrust. Babs continued to type away at her phone while Cassandra looked out the window. 

“So,” Garfield started, causing everyone to turn their attention to him, “what’s going to happen next?” Babs grinned, the light from her phone making her face look creepy. 

“I’ll tell you what’s gonna happen next,” she said as she exchanged glances with Zatanna, who also grinned, “But first, I have a question for Rachel and Cassandra. How do you guys feel about dresses?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, 
> 
> Disclaimer: I have no expert knowledge on technology that pertains to the DC universe or this universe. I'm big dumb dumb. Anywho, this is like a little bit filler but it sets up what's going to happen in the rest of the story. I don't think this will be a super long story, but I will set it all up as well as I can. 
> 
> So don't blame me for any plot holes, because I'm gonna do my best to cover them up. Please leave comments with constructive criticism if you want! I don't know, that's up to you!
> 
> Until next time, 
> 
> The Poppy Press

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, 
> 
> Thank you for reading 'You Burned Me With Your Lies (But Karma Is About To Light A Fire Under Your Ass).' If you have any comments or concerns, please make them known in the comment section, and don't hesitate to provide some constructive criticism! Otherwise, have a nice day!
> 
> The Poppy Press


End file.
